The Hamptons' House

2015: Part 1

There was something different about returning to Tony Stark's house in the Hamptons this time. In the past, there had always been some anxiety involved, which meant it wasn't just a case of going to see this person you loved and spend time with them. There was always something else - the pressure to make the relationship something it wasn't - fear of rejection when you got married - fear for his life.

This time you didn't feel any of that. The last time you'd left you were both in relationships, and in the last three years, Tony seemed to be doing really well. Being Iron Man meant there were times you were worried for his life, but since you'd seen him he'd saved the world again, and he'd had the Arc Reactor removed from his chest. You were going in happy about your own life and where you were with Kurt and the kids, and you felt sure he was feeling better about his too. So instead of anxiety, there was just excitement. You wanted to get this week underway and just relax and enjoy it.

Kurt pulled the rental car into the driveway. It was full as usual and Happy was manning the door. It was strange how showing up to an orgy had a comfortable familiarity to it. You wondered if there would be a day when you decided you were too old for it. You were both so young when this had started, now you were getting to that age that people joked about the sad old swingers and their key parties. But this was your tradition, and you still enjoyed it, so in a way, it didn't matter what clichés you fit. You were safe. You were having fun. What else mattered?

Happy hugged you at the door and let you through to the party. You and Kurt made your way upstairs through the secret door in the kitchen. JARVIS didn't greet you, but the realization that he hadn't didn't hit until you were already back out in the party.

So many of the guests looked so young these days and the familiar faces that usually attended were becoming both older and fewer in number. Tony was sitting on a couch surrounded by people. You recognized some as regular attendees of this event. Others you knew from TV. One woman looked like she was from one of those Housewives' shows, but you couldn't be sure and you didn't know which particular version of that show she seemed familiar with. The rest you knew as Avengers. Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were there again. Clint had another woman with him and she looked very startled about the proceedings - like someone who had gone to see a particularly controversial art installation and couldn't decide if they liked it or not. There was also one of the new ones - the guy with the wings - Sam Wilson you thought his name was.

Tony looked up at you and grinned. "Cookie," he said, patting his lap. "Come here."

You went and sat so your legs were draped over his lap and he kissed you deeply, cradling your face with his hand as his tongue coaxed your lips apart and danced with yours. You hummed and you began to unfasten the buttons on his shirt. He pulled back and smirked at you. "Getting right into it?"

"I just wanted to see," you said.

"Oh," he said and sat back, opening his shirt for you.

There was heavy scarring in a circle with what almost resembled a web out across his chest. You gently traced your fingers over it as you studied it closely. "Does it hurt?"

"When there's rain coming," he said. "And not nearly as much as it did with the arc there. I have more issues with my left arm than that, to be honest."

"What did they do about your ribs?" you asked.

"Prosthetic," he said. "They're made of ceramic, like some people's hip replacements."

"Damn," you said, looking up at him and smiling. "This is so great, Tony."

"Yeah, it was about time," he said and pulled you down into a kiss. You kissed back hungrily, your lips moving with his as you pushed your hand into his hair and tugged on it. Tony pulled back slowly and patted your ass. "It's good to see you, Cookie."